


sheer joy

by skrsgards



Series: Bill Skargård Works [3]
Category: Bill Skarsgard - Fandom
Genre: have some dad bill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-08-26 08:06:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16677802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skrsgards/pseuds/skrsgards
Summary: in which you're reunited with the one you love





	sheer joy

Alarm clocks. Who needs ‘em when you have an energetic four year old jumping on top of you the moment the sun decides to shine its rays through the windows? 

Was it always enjoyable? Not particularly. But on this morning, it was welcomed, because along with that little girl’s excitement came an equally as childish excitement of your own, with your eyes fluttering open as a smile reached your face. 

He was coming home today. 

“Mama, mama, mama!” The energetic voice of your daughter filled your ears as she jumped onto the queen sized bed, scrambling over to you. Her small hands pushed your hair out of your face as you watched her in amusement. 

“Good morning baby girl,” you hummed, reaching forward to pull her to you. 

“Daddy’s coming home today!” She said, a little too loudly. 

“I know!” You responded. This wasn’t a new thing, though. For the past few days, she’d been coming into your bedroom, announcing the same thing. You had to correct her every time, telling her the amount of days until he would be home. 

But now you didn’t have to say that, because today was the day. It had been over a month since you’d last seen your husband, and you’d been missing him terribly. With his job, his schedule was so unpredictable at times. He’d been away filming for months now, and you’d only been able to see him a few times in that period. 

This time around, the last time you had seen him was a month ago. Now he was finally on his way home, and an eagerness had settled deep within your chest. You couldn’t wait for your family to be whole again, to have the comfort, love and safety that he provided again. 

And most importantly, you couldn’t wait to give him the news that you’d been holding your tongue over for the past two months. You were having another baby. Really, it had been one of the hardest secrets you’d ever had to keep, because you were so used to telling him everything. 

You remembered back to your first pregnancy, with your daughter Alivia. You’d been so excited that you couldn’t hold in the secret any longer. But this time around, you’d been determined to keep it from him until the right time. It did help that he’d been away from home so much. You hadn’t been as tempted to blurt it out. 

Now the day was upon you, and your tummy was alive with butterflies. “Mama, get up!” Alivia pulled you from your thoughts, and you smiled softly at her. 

“Who wants some breakfast?”

“ME!” She shouted, jumping off the bed and sprinting out of the room, quick as lightning. Shaking your head at your antics, you swung your legs over the side of the bed, stretching deeply before strolling out into the kitchen, where Alivia had already managed to make a mess by dragging some pots and pans out of the cupboard.

“And just what are you doing?” You questioned. 

“Making breakfast.”

You reached down, already putting away the items. “Let Mommy make breakfast. You go play. Do you want me to put cartoons on for you?”

“Yes please!” She dashed off towards the living room, shouting over her shoulder, “make breakfast for Daddy, too!”

“We’ll make him dinner instead. He’ll be home too late for breakfast.” You settled her down on the couch, turning on some cartoons for her before you headed back to the kitchen, making up some pancakes for the both of you. 

Once breakfast was finished, you tried your best to occupy yourself, rather than sitting there and staring at the clock until it was time for Bill to get home. You carried on with your mundane tasks. Washing the dishes, making sure the house was clean (only to have it un-cleaned by Alivia), showering and dressing, getting Alivia ready. 

As you sat at the kitchen table just hours after breakfast, making a snack for your ever hungry four year old, your phone went off with FaceTime call. A grin spread across your face as you read Bill’s name on the screen. 

“Alivia! Daddy’s on the phone!” You called to her as you hit the answer button. Seconds later, you came face to face with the beautiful man you were lucky enough to call yours. 

Bill smiled widely at you. “Hey sweetheart!” He greeted.

Alivia’s head then popped up from the side of the table. “Hi Daddy!” She exclaimed, waving wildly. 

Bill wriggled his fingers in a wave. There was that look in his eyes that you loved so much, a look that displayed all the love he had for that precious little girl. “Hi Livvy!” 

“Are you almost home?”

“Not yet! Just a couple more hours and I will be.”

“It’s taking forever!” The girl gasped dramatically, causing you both to laugh. 

“Don’t worry! I’ll be home before you know it. And guess what?”

“What?”

“I got you a present.”

She let out a squeal. “A present?! What kind of present?!”

“You’ll have to wait and see!” He continued, face animated. Then he became more serious, raising an eyebrow. “Have you been a good girl for Mommy?”

Alivia nodded vigorously. “Yep!” Then she was shuffling away. “I have to go potty,” she announced as she disappeared down the hall. 

You watched her with a faint smile before turning back to your screen. “Just a few more hours,” Bill stated. 

You sighed, nodding. “I miss you so much, babe. I’m so glad you’re coming home because it’s been way too long.”

“It’s only been a month.”

“Yeah but you were only here for four days so that doesn’t count. I’m selfish, I want you all to myself all the time.”

“Well be patient just a little while longer, then I’m all yours.”

“I can’t wait,” you breathed. 

He leaned a bit closer to the screen. “How are you? You alright?” He asked.

You couldn’t hide the beam that illuminated your face. “I’m just fine. What about you?’

He let out a breath. “I’m so exhausted I might collapse.”

“Poor baby.”

“I’ll live. It’ll be better once I can sleep in my own bed.”

“With me, of course.”

“Oh, you’re the best part.”

“Of course I am.” Your light hearted conversation was interrupted by Alivia, who came running into the kitchen just a little too fast, her socked clad feet slipping on the hardwood and sending her onto her back with a loud thump.

You winced, already rising from your chair. “Talk to you later, babe,” you quickly told Bill, hanging up before hurrying over to see if any boo-boos had been sustained. The four year old was just fine, already standing up when you reached her.

“I fell,” she stated, matter of factly. 

“Are you okay?”

“Yep!” Then she was running off again, with you calling “walk!” after her. Shaking your head at her, which seemed to be something you did often, you gathered her snack of berries to bring to her in the living room. 

The rest of the day went on rather uneventfully. You’d basically run out of things to occupy yourself while waiting for Bill to come home, so you spent your time watching cartoons and playing with Alivia. There was never a dull moment with her. She was as animated and spontaneous as her father. 

By the time early evening rolled around, the sound of the front door opening could be heard, followed by a wonderfully familiar voice calling, “is anyone home?!”

Alivia shot upright from her spot on the floor, eyes going wide. The moment Bill appeared in the hall that led up to the living room, she was squealing, dashing right up to him. The look on his face was that of pure joy as he lifted her into his arms. “How’s my Livvy?” He asked her, reaching up to brush her hair out of her face.

“Happy!” She announced, throwing her small arms around her daddy’s neck.

Once she let go, Bill’s eyes shifted to you, and he smiled, reaching his free arm out to you. You tucked yourself against his side, arms wrapping around him as he pulled you in for a hug. In that moment, everything felt right. He was back where he was supposed to be, with his family.

“You took forever to get home!” Alivia exclaimed as he set her down on the floor. 

He straightened, arm still slung around you. “Planes take a while to ride on,” he replied. 

“Was it boring?” 

Bill nodded, laughing at her words. “Very boring.”

“How about we let Daddy put his stuff away? It’s time to get dinner ready.”

“Let’s just order something,” Bill cut in, moving to pick up the bags he’d set on the floor.

“You sure? I figured you’d want food here since you’ve been eating hotel and restaurant food all this time.”

He shrugged. “Whatever’s easiest on you. Which would be ordering food. You can make dinner tomorrow.”

You certainly didn’t argue. You were fine with not having to make dinner. While he carried his things into your bedroom, you made the call to order pizza before you headed in to help him. You found Alivia in there with him, babbling away excitedly about everything that had happened while he was away. 

“Mommy!” She squeaked, holding up a stuffed rabbit. “Look what Daddy got me!” 

You grinned, reaching out to touch the soft fur of the animal. Alivia loved rabbits, thanks to her interest in The Tale of Peter Rabbit. “Did you say thank you?” You asked with the raise of a brow.

She shook her head before turning to Bill. “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome, sweet cheeks.” He kissed her on the head. The ever energetic child was sliding off the bed then, announcing that she was going to go find a home for the rabbit in her room. 

You sighed, taking a seat on the edge of the bed as you began aiding Bill in his unpacking. “I’m so glad you’re back, baby,” you told him. 

He paused, leaning down to kiss you on the lips. “I’m glad to be back. Nothing beats coming back home to you.” He tossed some clothes in the laundry hamper, shoving his first empty suitcase into the closet before starting on his second one. “Anything exciting happen while I was away?”

I found out you’re gonna be a daddy again. No, now wasn’t the right time to tell him that. You were waiting until later. You cleared your throat, shaking your head. “Not really. Boring, as usual.”

“Once this movie comes out, things’ll be less boring. I’ll be taking you to premiers and all that.”

“What are we gonna do with Alivia? She sure as hell isn’t watching that movie,” you responded.

Bill smiled. “We can always take her to your mom’s. But that’s some time away so we don’t have to worry about it now.”

You sprawled out across the bed, letting out a sigh. “I don’t wanna worry about anything,” you muttered. 

“Hey,” Bill spoke up, “I got you something too.” He began rummaging around in his bag, soon retrieving a small, wrapped box. He carefully placed the package in your hands, and you shared a look with him before peeling away the wrapping. 

Once you’d opened the box, you found that there was a delicate necklace inside. Just a simple, thin gold chain, with a little charm attached. Upon looking closer, you noticed that the tiny charm was the shape of a little girl, kind of like a stick figure. Her dress held a gem the color of Alivia’s birthstone. 

Your lips curled into a smile, and your eyes went glassy with tears. You were blaming it on pregnancy hormones, though you knew you would’ve cried over it anyway. 

“Oh, baby,” you hummed, “it’s beautiful.”

He motioned for you to give it to him so he could put it around your neck. You pulled your hair aside, and he fastened the chain, fingers brushing against your skin and causing you to shiver. 

You turned back to him, rising to kneel on the mattress so you were almost eye level with him. Letting out a breath, you leaned in to kiss him. The kiss was sweet, making up for all the lost time. He held you tightly, wanting the kiss to last longer. But it was soon interrupted by the over dramatic throat clearing of a little girl.

“Where’d she learn the throat clearing thing?” Bill questioned in amusement, and you only shrugged. “Who knows.”

While you went to see what your daughter needed, Bill finished unpacking, finding it therapeutic as it occupied his brain. As soon as he was done, you popped your head into the room to tell him that the pizza you’d ordered had arrived. 

Dinner was eaten at the table as a family, and you were most certainly relishing in the togetherness. You’d missed nights like these, and it was clear he had, too. He’d squeeze your hand every so often, offering you those sweet gazes of his that had your heart fluttering, despite the fact that you were accustomed to them. 

“Let me wash the dishes,” he said, as you were cleaning up. 

“No, you’ve been traveling all day. Go play with your daughter because she’s missed you.”

“I won’t take long.”

You pressed a hand to his chest, stopping him. “Nope.”

In the end, you compromised, deciding to wash dishes together, talking and laughing the whole time like a couple of lovesick teenagers. By that time, it was Alivia’s bedtime, though she certainly didn’t want to go. 

She protested the entire time you got her ready, gave her a bath, brushed her teeth, and helped her into her pjs. “Little girls need their rest,” you told her as you guided her to her room. 

“But I’m a big girl!”

“Big girls also need rest.” You turned down her covers. “Now, come on. Get under the covers.” With a sigh, she complied, climbing into her bed. At that moment, Bill walked into the room, at which Alivia was audibly excited about. 

“Read me a story, Daddy!” She called. 

He stopped in the middle of the room, placing his hands on his hips as he dramatically raised his eyebrows. “What do you say?”

“Please?”

He broke into a grin, already moving to the book shelf. “Which one are we reading tonight, sweet cheeks?”

“Peter Rabbit!”

“You sure? What about another one like Benjamin Bunny?”

“No, Peter!”

“Okay, okay. We’ll read that one.” He pulled the book from the shelf and hurried over to sit beside his little girl. You sat at the edge of the bed, staying to watch him read to her. He always told the stories so animatedly. His tenderness towards her always had you falling in love with him all over again.

“Once upon a time, there were four little rabbits, and their names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton Tail, and Peter…” 

He only got past the first few pages before she fell sound asleep with her head resting on his arm. You got up from the bed, taking the book from him to put away while he tried his best to move without waking her. Finally, you were both out of the room, closing the door softly behind you. 

Bill let out a breath, already passing you to make his way to your own bedroom, ready to collapse against the mattress. Sure enough, when you stepped into the room, you found him sprawled across the mattress, face squished up against the pillowed. 

You watched in amusement before you began readying yourself for bed, stripping out of the clothes you’d worn that day and tugging on one of Bill’s shirts, just like you dd every night. 

“You’re so beautiful,” Bill murmured, lazily watching you from his spot on the bed. 

“So are you,” came your response. 

“Nah.”

Things went quiet for a moment, and you paused, suddenly a little nervous. Now was the perfect time to give him the news. Taking a deep breath, you sauntered over to the bed, ready to open the nightstand drawer to pull out the pregnancy test. But Bill had other ideas, and he caught your wrist, pulling you onto the bed with him. 

You squealed, gasping when he climbed on top of you. “Bill, wait-” you began, but then he was kissing you, and you didn’t have the heart to pull away. But that one kiss turned into two, then three, then four. And soon, he had you against the mattress, kissing all over your body and pulling uncontrollable giggles from you. 

“Wait!” You exclaimed, “wait! I have to show you something!”

“Mm, can’t it wait?”

“Nuh-uh.”

Bill sighed, rolling off of you. You were quick to open the nightstand, discreetly pulling out the test. “Close your eyes.” 

Bill did as he was told, eyes fluttering shut as you brought the stick into view. “Okay, open them.”

He did so, eyes flickering down to catch sight of what you held in your hand. He was still for a moment before he shot upright, snatching the test out of your hand to examine it closely. You watched as his eyes widened, so many expressions swirling through at once. 

Then he looked at you. “A baby?” He said it so softly, so hopefully, that your heart ached. 

“Yes.” You moved to cup his cheeks. “A baby.”

“Since when?”

“Remember last month, when we met up again?”

“How could I forget?”

“Well, that was one lucky night for us. We’re having a baby.”

At that, a musical laugh left his lips, and he reached forward, pulling you to him. “Oh wow. A baby. A baby!” Childish excitement was written all over his face. It was adorable. 

He kissed you deeply, and you kissed him right back, butterflies alive in your tummy. That moment in and of itself was one of the happiest moments you’d ever shared, aside from the birth of Alivia. 

“I’m gonna be a dad again,” he murmured. 

“Yes you are, babe.”

He turned to you with a grin, leaning forward to capture your lips in a kiss. His heart was overflowing with love and admiration for you. He held you close, hands sliding along your body. “I love you so much,” he breathed. Never had he been this head over heels for someone before. 

You leaned forward to kiss him on the mouth, and he tightened his grip, pulling away to look at you with shining eyes. You gently brushed his hair aside. “I love you more,” you said.

“Not possible.”

“Yes possible.”

“I love you enough to bear children for you.”

“You got me there,” he admitted, sending you both into a fit of giggles. Right then, nothing could take away your happiness. You were whole, you were happy, you were right where you were supposed to be. 

There was nothing in the world you’d ever trade this feeling for, this sheer joy and contentment. Nothing at all.


End file.
